PolaCon2017 9/29-10/1

PolaCon – the world’s first three-day instant film photography convention, conference and meet-up – returns to North Texas this September 29 through October 1, 2017!

And for the second year, #PolaCon2017 will again feature three days of instant photography-focused workshops and #PolaWalks hosted by special guest speakers and photographers gathered from all over the U.S.

With more than 20 film- and camera-specific workshops covering all the basics to more advanced techniques, five “official” polawalks (plus a couple of off-the-beaten path guided excursions for the adventurous), an EPIC! Instant Film Scavenger Hunt (with cool prizes for the winners), panel discussions, a ‘swap meet’ area on Saturday, an instant film exhibition, pop-up galleries and an instant film “museum,” 8x10 demos and photobooths, as well as a “How to dance Warhol’s ‘Big Shot Shuffle’” demo and photobooth with a Polaroid Big Shot.

Also, like last year, there will be an after-hours concert and other surprises on Saturday night in Denton. And we promise more big surprises and special guests to come.

Official meet-ups start at noon on Friday in Dallas and Denton, and then the party really kicks off with the 6th Annual Instant Film Society #PolaWalk at the State Fair of Texas.

Like last year, registration to #PolaCon2017 is free. Most events will be free and be open to the public (attendees will need tickets to the State Fair), but some programming will be limited to RSVP’d guests due to venue limitations. So, if you plan to attend, be sure to register through the Eventbrite ASAP before the event reaches capacity:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/polacon-2017-tickets-35491036646

Friday, September 29 – DALLAS & DENTON, TX
This year, For our Dentonites and other North Texas polapals who don't want to head to Dallas for the State Fair, we will have some events scheduled in Denton on Friday.
Noon-4 p.m. Events in Dallas and Denton, more details to follow.
[Dallas: locations in Deep Ellum. Denton: at Patterson-Appleton Arts Center 400 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76201]
4 p.m to 10 p.m. – Deep Ellum meet-up & mini #PolaWalk to Fair Park. Meet at 4 p.m. at Cold Beer Company 3600 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226. Then we'll walk to Fair Park for the 6th Annual Rain-or-Shine #PolaWalk at The State Fair of Texas. See this separate event page for all the meet-up details: https://www.facebook.com/events/166412300571914/?ref=br_rs

Saturday, September 30 – DENTON
8 a.m. – Coffee, Bluegrass, and “Instant Film 101” Workshop and PolaWalk [discussing pro-tips and the basics]. Meet at West Oak Coffee Bar. After folks grab a pastry and some espresso, we'll start walking at about 8:15 a.m.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – events will center around the historic Evers Hardware Building at 109 W. Hickory St. (Built on Denton's Courthouse Square back in 1913, today the Evers Hardware houses the Norman Roscoe LLC Pop-Up. Norman Roscoe will be screen-printing PolaCon and IFS T-shirts, which will available for purchase from the store.)
With additional events at Denton Camera Exchange 117 Piner St, Denton, TX 76201

Since it’s the Opening Day of the Fair: “Dasani – $10 Opening Day, Sept. 29
Bring a full 20 oz. bottle of Dasani water (or any 20 oz. Coca-Cola product) for donation to the North Texas Food Bank and in for only $10 on Opening Day (September 29, 2017). One donation per person. Discount may not be combined with any other offers.”

SHOULD I PACK FILM, OR WILL THERE BE FILM TO BUY?

FRIDAY: Don's Photo Equipment in Dallas is your best bet for restocking your camera bags. Don’s won a Dallas Observer Best Of award in 2012 for “Best Place to Buy an Old Camera.” [ http://www.dallasobserver.com/best-of/2012/shopping-and-services/best-place-to-buy-an-old-camera-6463278 ] Don’s is opened from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday, and the shop stocks all types of commercially available instant film, as well as a number of used Polaroid cameras. (Including FP-3000B and FP-100C) Don and Todd Puckett promise to be selling some Polaroid cameras and other instant film rarities from their reserves.

SATURDAY: Denton Camera Exchange is a retail camera shop just a block away from the historic downtown Square. The shop’s owner Armand Kohandani stocks the shelves of an old pharmacy with new, used and antique cameras and other photography related supplies and rarities. And film!! From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Denton Camera Exchange will have a variety of Impossible and Fujifilm films in stock, as well as dozens of different models of Polaroid cameras available. It’s worth noting that DCE is one of the coolest camera stores in North America, and the shelves are stocked with hundreds of collectible, working film cameras and cool photography ephemera. (Check out this article to see for yourself:http://petapixel.com/2015/02/07/denton-camera-exchange-camera-retail-outlet-denton-texas/ )

WHERE TO STAY IN DENTON? Denton is located 40 miles north of Dallas, 25 miles north of Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) airport and 36 miles north of Dallas Love Field (DAL) airport.
Denton has a number of great affordable lodging options – located within a 2-mile radius from the historic downtown "Square." (Trust us, you want to stay as close as possible to the square.) The area surrounding the Courthouse on the Square is packed with great restaurants, coffee houses, two fantastic record stores, bars (from dive bars to drafthouses to cocktail bars), clubs, boutique stores and antique shops, one of the best used book stores in the US (Recycled Books, Records, & CDs) is housed in an old opera house, several live music venues, Midway Mart!!, colorful murals that make for fantastic backdrops, J&J’s Pizza (open ‘til midnight!) and the charmingly picturesque Beth Marie's Old Fashioned Ice Cream & Soda Fountain. (And we should mention Tortilleria La Sabrocita, which will be open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday.)
But, back to lodging… PolaCon isn’t like some fancy pants book-a-room-for-you convention. No, this is more of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” kind of thing. So, whether you want to crash on a couch at a friend’s place or on a king-size at one of the many family-friendly hotels, Denton has everything from less-than family-friendly Interstate-side “cheap motels” to pet-friendly inns and suites to RV parks to charming, picturesque bed-and-breakfasts, the latter of which is clearly the best choice – before they get booked up. If you really want a “Texas experience,” according to Discover Denton, there’s even a ranch with grazing buffalo. Click here to check out all the accommodations: http://www.discoverdenton.com/where-to-stay/

Also, Airbnb shows a dozen listings within a 3-mile radius of The Square.

WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION? All of the events are designed to be “walkable.” But attendees will need to secure transportation to Denton. Obviously, DFW has tons of rental car shops, or you can hitch a ride with a local photographer you know (or one you meet). Cabs are über expensive in North Texas, but, luckily, Uber & Lyft are very present in Denton and Dallas. See below for an updated that includes public transportation options, including info on the train line that runs from Dallas to Denton.

IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE? Yes, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates in Dallas County and the Denton County Operates Authority (DCTA) operates in Denton County. DART bus route 524 connects Love Field Airport to the Green and Orange lines at Inwood/Love Field Station. DFW Airport Station at DFW Airport is located at the north end of Terminal A; in-airport shuttles can be used to get to the terminal.

To get to the State Fair, you may take any Green Line train marked with Buckner Station as its final destination and get off at Fair Park Station. DART will also have trains mark Special Event or Fair Park.

To get to Denton from the State Fair Friday night, you will need to board the Green Line (to North Carrolton/Frankford Station) at Fair Park Station at 9:31 p.m (this is the last connecting train for the night). Get off at Trinity Mills Station (second to last station) at 10:24 p.m. and transfer to DCTA’s A-Train. From there ride the train all the way to Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) Station (604 E Hickory St, Denton, TX 76205).

Please be aware that DCTA does not operate on Sundays.

Ticket Prices: DART and DCTA are two separate entities. If you need to ride DART or DCTA only, you will need a Local ticket from the respective agency. If you need to ride both, you may purchase a Regional ticket. Tickets may be purchased at any ticket vending machine (at all train stations), with any bus operator (exact fare only) or through the GoPass app (for Android and iOS).
– DART 2-Hour Local Pass: $2.50
– DART Local Day Pass: $5.00
– DCTA 2-Hour Local Pass: $3.00
– Regional 2-Hour Pass: $5.00
– Regional Day Pass: $10.00